Florida A & M University will be testing residents for COVID-19 starting this Saturday at the Bragg Stadium parking lot. A physician's referral is not needed.
FAMU Associate Dean for the Institute of Public Health Cynthia Harris says, some people living close to the campus may not have reliable transportation, and this testing site could help them out.
"Transportation is a big issue. Some of them might not be able to get readily to the Northwood site, and so we're just providing another opportunity for people in the neighborhood to have this," Harris says.
The college will have enough kits to test 200 people per day for 14 days. Starting Thursday at noon, people can make an appointment by calling 850-404-6399. Residents can also walk up to the site beginning Saturday from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Harris explains that FAMU's location will allow greater access to testing for those who may be vulnerable to COVID-19.
"The coexisting conditions and the disproportionate number of these conditions that we find in at largely African-American and Latino communities make those particular populations even more vulnerable," Harris says.
The site is open to all people who believe they have COVID-19 symptoms.
FAMU's site is modeled after other walk-up sites the state has established in medically-underserved areas in Broward and Duval counties.
